Fraud, theft charges against ex-NUNW boss withdrawn

22 May 2015 12:40pm

WINDHOEK, 22 MAY (NAMPA)  The former acting Secretary-General (SG) of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Alfred Angula is a free man after charges of fraud and theft were withdrawn against him here on Friday.
The charges in connection with the alleged fraud and theft case were withdrawn against the former NUNW boss after the Office of the Prosecutor-General (PG) Martha Imalwa declined to prosecute Angula on the matter.
This matter is today, 22 May 2015, on the court's roll for the PG's decision. I have received information from the Office of the Prosecutor-General this morning that the PG has declined to prosecute Alfred Angula on the matter, and charges of fraud and theft can now be withdrawn against him, said Public Prosecutor Maria Andimba.
In the result, Windhoek Magistrate Hileni Kavara then ordered the withdrawal of the fraud and theft charges against Angula, as per the decision taken by the Office of the Prosecutor-General not to prosecute him in connection with the case.
Angula has been free on bail of N.dollars 50 000, and an order was also made by Magistrate Kavara that his bail money should be refunded to him upon the withdrawal of the charges against him today.
Windhoek-based defence lawyer Edwin Coetzee represented Angula in the matter.
The 48-year-old Angula was arrested in October 2013 after a Belgian donor agency (Fes-Belgium) laid charges of fraud and theft against him in connection with donor funds that allegedly went missing at the Namibia Farmworkers Union (NAFWU).
The alleged fraud and theft case involves about N.dollars 1.2 million donated to NAFWU by the European donor agency.
Angula was at the helm of NAFWU as SG when the money allegedly went missing at the union.
The charge sheet indicated that the accused person allegedly committed the offence between 31 January 2012 and 31 December 2012.
Angula also denied any wrong-doing or involvement in the matter when he entered pleas of not guilty to the two charges against him before Windhoek Magistrate Leopold Hangalo on 04 February 2015.
He was released on bail on 23 October 2013 after he brought a successful formal bail application before court.
The bail was granted with a single condition attached to it, in that Angula should not directly or indirectly interfere with police investigations.
(NAMPA)
SKE/AS/CT